Looks really interesting as a hardware hack, you should consider adding a longer demo video.
I don't think that even with extended use i could type faster with this glove than using the standard on screen keyboard, do you guys have any data on how fast you managed to type using your glove ?
We literally finished the prototype yesterday, so I can't give you a figure as to how fast we can type on it. We laid the keys out so the most used letters in the English alphabet are placed in easy to reach spots. But even after a few hours of use, I'm already remembering the keymap and was able to type with one hand without looking at the glove, which is something you can't really do with an on screen keyboard.
I can report back later when I get more used to the glove.
Great to see more people exploring the world of wearable interfaces. How does it compare to existing gloves like the Peregrine? ( http://theperegrine.com )
With Google's Project Glass, we are even more inspired to finish Gauntlet. One problem I see with Project Glass is complex input such as typing when voice is not an option. That's when a wearable keyboard interface could come in handy (no pun intended).
The Peregrine actually only has an USB interface, so you are essentially tethered to your computer and cannot use it with your phone\tablet or anything else. It is marketed as a gaming device, which limits the amount of possible inputs. I don't think you can replicate the entire keyboard with the Peregrine, which GAUNTLET could easily do. My hope is to have the comercial version (if pursued) of GAUNTLET to look as aesthetic as, if not better than, the Peregrine.
Since our design uses really inexpensive parts (resistor arrays) to solve a relatively complex problem, we don't need that much funding, so I'm not sure if Kickstarter would be necessary. Although I'm not entirely familiar with Kickstarter. Are there any other benefits besides the money?
If you think this looks ugly, you should've seen our very first version. Let's just say they don't teach tailoring in an engineering curriculum :P We actually outsourced this to a seamstress, who was able to fabricate the glove from ground up with conductive threads sewn in.
I think Nintendo was kind of ahead of its time when they released the PowerGlove. I definitely see the merit of a wearable interface today with better batteries and wireless communication technologies. I think Google agrees. The challenge will be how to make it as unobtrusive as possible.
The way it works is actually really simple. The thumb pad is powered, and when it touches the other points, closed circuits are formed. And depending on which pad is touched, a different voltage value is read by the microcontroller, which then runs our code and translates the value to an ASCII character, which is then sent through Bluetooth to the computer/phone screen.
I don't think that even with extended use i could type faster with this glove than using the standard on screen keyboard, do you guys have any data on how fast you managed to type using your glove ?